Pneumatic action for self-players.



EATBNTED A'U'G. 4. 1963.

F. B. LONG 8. B. A. TAPE PNEUMATIC ACTION FOR SELF PLAYERS.

AYPLIGATION TILED MAR. 23, 19am.

' I 2 SHEET8-SHEE INVENTOHJ.

ATTORNEYS 1 v PATENTED AUG; 4,- 1908. P. B. LONG.& E. A. TAPPE.

PNEUMATIC ACTION FOR SELF PLAYERS,

APPLIGATIOF FILED MAR. 23, 1907.

2 SHEETS-BEBE! 2.

mi w Ky UNITED srn'rns m me ornrofif FR. 3K sEnAJAH LONG AND EDWARDARTHUR TAPPE, OF'LOS ANGELES, oALIroRnnl.

PNEUMATIC ac'rroiv ron sELF-ILavsa's; q i

' To all whom it ma concern:

Be itknown t-iat we, FRANK 'BENAJAH Loss and EDWARD ARTHUR TAPPE,citizens of the United States, and residents of Los Angeles, in thecounty, of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new andImproved Pneumatic Action for Self-Players,

' self-playing pianos and like self-playe s, and

the keys or strikers, according to t of which the following is a 'full,clear, and exact description. 7

The HIVEHHOII relates to cabinet players,

its 0 jectis to provide a new and improved neumatic action, arranged toinsure long e, especially as to the pneumatics, and to produce a quickand accurate response of e pneumatic to he produced.

The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinationsofthe same,

which will be more fully described hereinafter and then pointed out inthe claims.

A practical embodiment of the invention is re resented in theaccompanying drawings orming a which similar 0 aracters-of referenceindicate corresponding parts in all the views. Figure 1 is a transversesection'of the imrovement as applied to a self-playing piano; ig. 2 isan enlarged sectional side elevation of one of the pneumatics; Fig. 3 isa trans verse section of a modified form of the inrprovement; and Fig. 4is an inverted plan view of the same, the bottom of thewind .chest beingremoved along the line 4-4: of

- one end of a lever F extendlng within the suction chamber A and on theother end of this lever is secured, bv a'regulating screw, the stem G ofa valve G, normall seated on a port aopening into the suction chamber A,

' and adapted to connect the latter with the channel 1) opening into thepneumatic H. The channel I; is connected by 'a port- 0 with the channel(1 leading to the atmosphere, and the said ort c is adapted to be closedby the valve ii, to disconnect the channel b from the atmosphere and toconnect the said Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed.March 23,1907. Serial No. 364,101.

art ofthis specification, in'

Patented Ad .4,1eos. 7

channel I) by way ofvthe port a with the suetion chamber A, tov colla sethe neumatic H, as hereinafter more in y descrl ed.

The movable member H of the pneumatic H is'connected by a rod I with oneend of a.

lever J, fulcrumedat its-other end at J, and

provided with anarm J adapted to engage a keeper or bracket K secured tothe under side of the key or'striker K, fulcrumed in the usual manner onthe key board L of the instrument. An adjusting screw J on the lever Jengages the arm J, for adu'sting the latter, so as to bring the free endt ereof into proper relation with the keeper K, arranged on the forwardend of the key, as indicated inFig. 1. As the free end of the arm Jengages the top of the keeper K it is evidentthat the key K can beplayed by hand with-' out interfering with the arm J the lever J and theparts connected therewith; but when the pneumatic His collapsed and adownward swinging motion is given to the lever J, then the arm J carriesthe keeper K and consequently the key along so as to actuate the key andconsequently the piano or other instrument. The neumatic Iis providedwith a fixed mom er I-P which is ap roximately parallel to the movablemember previously mentioned, and the said members H and H are connectedwith each other by the flexibletubular connection H of rubber, leatheror a like material. The edge of the movable member H is rovided with aguide H of'ielt, leather or 0t er suitable material and fitting theinner surface of a casing H inclosiru the pneumatic H and forming aguide for the movable member H. Now when the instrument is used and anaperture of the note sheet'1'cgiste1s -with an aperture in the trackerboard and air passes by way of the tube E into the diaphragm chamber D,then the diaphragm D thereof moves outward into the suction chamber Aand consequcnth imparts a swingin motion to the lever F which lifts thevalve oil the port a, to open the latter and move the valve for the rodI to impart a downward swinging v motion to the lever J, to actuate thecorre scription of the same spending key for sounding the proper stringof the piano. As s on as the note sheet aperture has passed the trackerboard aperture and the latter is closed b v the note sheet then thediaphragm D returns to its normal position, to allow the valve G to dropand close the porta and open the port; c, whereby the pneumatic-H 1Sdisconnected from the suction chamber A andis connected with theatmosphere, to allow the air to pass intothe pneumatic II to inflatethesame. \l'hen this takes place the movable member H moves back to itsuppermost msition, and in doing so it returns the lever and allows thekey K to move back to its normal position of rest. V

As illustrated in Fig. l, the lever F is in the. form. of a bell cranklever. and as shown in Figs. 3 and -1 the lever F for connecting thediaphragm D with the valve G is a straight lever. but otherwise theconstructibn shown in Figs. 3 and 4 is ap'proximatelv the same as theone above mentioned in. re erence to Figs. 1 and 2, so thatfurther deisnotdeemed necessary. Now by constructing the pneumatic H in the mannerdescribed, the movable member H moves parallel tov'ards and from thefired member H, and as the flexible connection H has no pie-arrangedcreases or folds it'is i not liable to be readily m3ured, and conseuntlylong life, of the pneumatic is insured. t will also be noticed that bymaking the pneumatic in the manner described item be made of suitablecapacity without occupying much sp The entire pneumatic action shown and"described is very simple. durable and compoet in construction. and isnot liable to easily get out of order as it is composedof comparativelyfew-parts. i llaving thus described claim as n lPatent:

1. A pneumatic action lllOYh pneumatic, having a. fixed member,a1novi-able member approximate-l1.

said fixed member, allexible connection bc- .iWC'PII the said fixed andmovable members, to allow the movable member to more approximatelyparallel to and .from the said fixed member, an exterior uide for theedge of the said movable member, and a casing inclosing the saidpneumatic and engaged at its inner surface bytheseid. guide, to guidethe movable member in its movement.

*2. A pneumatic action provided with a pneumatic having e. fixed member,a minable member approximately parallel to the i said fixed member,a-tlezibleconuection between the said lifted and movable members. and acasing inelosing the gaged at its inner surface our invention, ire ewand desire to secure by Letters member in its movement. t In testimonywhereof rte-have signed our names to this specification m the presenceof two subscribing witnesses.

. FRANK BENAJAH LONG.-

EDWARD ARTHUR TAPPE.

Witnesses: 7

GEORGE 110mm, Q. A. JIXLEY.

led with a j parallel to the lineumatic and cit-'- v the edge of themovable member, to gu de said movablo'

